“Puh-lease?!?!?” came the persistent begging, once again, from my Star Wars crazed son. He had only asked EVERY DAY to battle me—light-saber style, which is really not my style at all! Always after dinner. Always just as my hands were getting sudsy, cleaning the mess from the last half hour. It was always then that [...]
I remember the day that my children made a switch in their “educational” thinking. For them, it happened in kindergarten, but I know it can happen at any time during those first few years of school. Up until that point in their lives, everything Mom said was right. Mom knew the facts. Mom knew the [...]
To the educational assistant who shares this classroom with me: I know you've heard me say thank-you to the students in the class, maybe for excellent behaviour or for doing great work, for sharing their thoughts on a topic or helping out a peer, perhaps for all the pictures, cards, paintings, and notes that cover [...]
"How are you today? What did you do this weekend?" "Who are you playing with today? What are you playing?" "So, what's new in school today? What are you learning about?" Those are the questions I usually have to ask to get one of them talking. Small repertoire on my part. After all, my job wasn’t that big—it [...]
Sparkling lights, hot chocolate by a cozy fire, feelings of peace and calm, all is merry and bright. Those were the sentiments I wanted to be writing about, as I frantically tried to get a post-Christmas blog entry done. The flu happened instead, causing changed and cancelled plans, disinfectants and laundry, missed visits and tired [...]
The Grade one classes spend the month of December focusing on the different Christmas traditions each family celebrates. Over the years, I have witnessed many of these mini-celebrations with numerous ACES families. A question that has often come up is, “What about you? How do you celebrate Christmas?” So here are three of our best [...]
I don’t know how the friendship started. I was young, sitting in church, very aware that if I started goofing off, I would get that dreaded pinch or swat from my parents. And oh, I would hear about it at home, and my family was well-known—two rows from the back of the church. All the [...]
I love how children KNOW God. I love the way children view God, how they hear and process the truths and stories from the Bible, and how they live it out. One day, a long time ago, a few years before my oldest son even entered school, we were at a beach by the ocean. [...]
I can’t help it…I am a first grade teacher, and when asked to write a blog post, well, this was the idea that popped in my head! An alphabet poem: words about my summer! Maybe there are a few of them that you can relate to? Maybe one or two might jog a memory? Maybe [...]
I have two very important words to say to you. These two words are for you parents. Just two words. Thank you. You may have heard these words from me before, but today, I want you to REALLY hear them. Thank you—for sitting with your child and reading. Especially during those times when it seems [...]
